Deane Murdy dies

Dedicated dentist accepted eggs for payment

Deane Murdy

HUNTSVILLE -If there is one word to perfectly describe Deane Murdy that would be community.

For most of his life, Murdy was a dedicated volunteer, whether it was around the board table of many organizations he served, or on the ball diamonds or hockey arenas where those young and old would play.

Murdy died on April 17 after a long fight with Alzheimer’s. He was 82.

Deane Ivan Murdy was born on Oct. 25, 1931 to William and Elsie Murdy of Fern Glen, near Emsdale. The second youngest of 11 children, he graduated from the University of Toronto in 1957 and became a dentist.

He always remembered what the school meant to his career, and showed his appreciation by serving as a member of the university’s board of governors throughout the 1980s.

Murdy’s daughter Dana said her dad never forgot his patients were people struggling to make ends meet, and would often accept other items when cash was not always available.

“When my dad first graduated from university, a lot of people didn’t have money to pay him. I remember he sometimes got paid in eggs and chickens for dental work. He was just a people person and he would take whatever they could pay.”

While it was his dedication to his patients that made his known throughout the region, it was Murdy’s devotion to giving back to others that made him an icon in the north Muskoka community.

The variety of contributions he made to area clubs and organizations ran the gamut, whether it was as a member of the Oxtongue and Bear Creek Hunt Camps, the Emsdale Masonic Lodge – serving for a time as district deputy grand master –the Muskoka Shrine Club, the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, the Lions Club or serving as the Grand Patron of Ontario for the Order of the Eastern Star.

John Davis, who worked with Murdy for the region’s Federal Progressive Conservative association and as members of the Masonic Lodge, said he was a man who people respected for his views.

“He was very much a traditionalist. He believed in hard work, a very civic-minded type of individual. He always took a leadership role and part of being a Mason is mentoring other new Masons. He wasn’t always looking for the limelight but a lot of people always went to him and sought his guidance and opinion,” he said.

In addition to the his community service work, Murdy chaired the Fairvern Nursing Home’s fundraising board, the Huntsville Hospital Board, the Huntsville Centennial Centre fundraising committee and was a member of the Hospice Huntsville committee.

“He was an amazing man,” said Dana. “ Family was always first, but community was a close second. If something needed to be done, my dad did it. He just wanted to make a difference in the community and in the lives of the people in the community.”

Hugh Mackenzie knew Murdy for more than 40 years. The former Huntsville mayor said the long-time volunteer was a man worked hard for Huntsville, but also didn’t mince words when asked for his opinion.

“He was a good guy, a very principled guy,” Mackenzie said. “You always knew where you stood with Deane. He said the way he thought. If you wanted to know exactly what he thought, you got it.”

Dana agreed with that assessment. “You always got it straight up. You pretty much knew where my father stood.”

Recreation was another avenue of enjoyment and community contribution for Murdy. He coached minor baseball, and spent many Sundays brook fishing with his sons Deane and Jason.

Although he never played hockey, Murdy was a big part of the vaunted Huntsville Oldtimers hockey club as its treasurer, trainer and manager for many years. His efforts in helping the club and the sport earned him a spot in the International Oldtimers Hockey Hall of Fame, along with Oldtimers’ manager Charlie Murr.

Murdy would also be voted into the Huntsville Sports Hall of fame as a builder.

Former Huntsville Oldtimers’ player Don McCormick remembers Murdy as a person who was key to the development of the club in its formative years.

“Deane was always involved with the financial aspects of the team. He would often travel with us, but he was quite but he didn’t stand out. He worked very quietly and efficiently in the background but he was key to the success to the organization.”

Murdy is survived by his wife Gwen, son Deane (Wendy), daughter Dana,, son Jason, (Michele), sisters Madeline Marshall and Arlene Brear and six grandchildren.

Visitation will be held Saturday April 26, at Billingsley Funeral Home from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.

An Eastern Star Service will be held at 6 p.m. followed by a Masonic service at 6:30 p.m. that day at the funeral home.

A memorial service will be held at All Saints Anglican Church at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, with a gathering after the service at the Mill on Main.